{"id":5839,"date":"2022-12-12T09:47:40","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T14:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rhodeislandwoods\/?page_id=5839"},"modified":"2026-01-14T13:49:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T18:49:43","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/rhodeislandwoods\/climate-change-forests\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate-Informed Forestry Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Network is a collaborative effort to test experimental forest management strategies across the United States and Canada. Scientists, land managers, and other partners have established a number of initial trial sites as part of this long-term study to research ecosystem responses to a range of climate change adaptation actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Forest Management Methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 1,825-acre Hillsdale Preserve, a property in Richmond managed by the RI Department of Environmental Management (DEM), is the location of ASCC study site in Rhode Island. The Hillsdale Preserve is dominated by oak-hickory forest and is experiencing forest health issues exacerbated by climate stress, which makes it an ideal study site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the Hillsdale Preserve, three types of forest management strategies (treatments) adapted from ASCC protocol are being implemented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treatment<\/strong><\/td>Goal<\/strong><\/td>Description<\/strong><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Resistance<\/td>Maintain relatively unchanged conditions by trying to improve forest health and defenses<\/td>Promote health of existing trees as much as possible; regenerate oak & hickory and other species using traditional multi-stage \u201cshelterwood\u201d harvesting method; no planting<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Resilience<\/td>Enable the forest to accommodate some change, while returning to prior condition after disturbances<\/td>Expand and create new gaps favoring oak & hickory while promoting overall diversity; plant native tree seedlings adapted to site conditions including oaks and possibly other species<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Transition<\/td>Intentionally help the forest adapt to changing and projected future conditions<\/td>Promote future-adapted species composition and multi-aged structure by creating larger gaps and planting tree seedlings, including oaks of mid-Atlantic origin and possibly other species<\/td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The results of the three treatments (as well as an unmanaged no-action control) are being compared to determine the effectiveness of each approach. Beginning with pre-treatment baseline measurements, researchers are conducting regular periodic vegetation monitoring at a network of fixed plots to analyze how forest canopy and understory conditions change in response to the treatments. Within two of these treatment areas, a complementary study is monitoring and comparing the survival and growth of planted trees of both native oak species and non-native oak species that may be adapted to changing conditions in Rhode Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Partners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Work at URI is led by Dr. Scott McWilliams, Professor of Wildlife Ecology & Physiology, and Christopher Riely, Forestry Specialist and Research Associate. The study is a collaboratively funded RI DEM Division of Forest Environment project. The Hillsdale site is part of the larger Southern New England Exurban Oak ASCC affiliate project<\/a> that includes several replicate sites in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Partners include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n